This invention relates to a method and system for transmitting operation data of a working machine such as a hydraulic excavator, which automatically transmit the operation data of the working machine to a control station located at a remote plate.
As a conventional technique of this sort, there is, for example, the working machine maintenance system disclosed in JP-A-07166582. According to this conventional technique, when a communication is made from an operator of a working machine to a control center, in other words, a control station located at a remote place to the effect that a trouble has occurred on the working machine, data stored in a controller of the working machine can be automatically transmitted to the control station via communication means such as radio communication equipment or a telephone line in accordance with an instruction given by remote control from the control station.
As another conventional technique, there is, for example, the machine abnormality supervising system and method disclosed in JP-A-11065645. According to this conventional technique, when an abnormality is detected during operation of a machine such as a construction machine, data of the abnormality are automatically transmitted from the machine to a supervising station, in other words, a control station at a remote place via a communication network.
The above-mentioned conventional techniques each automatically transmits data on abnormality to a control station located at a remote place only when the abnormality has occurred on a working machine such as a construction machine. These conventional techniques, therefore, cannot grasp operation conditions of a working machine or the like, which has not developed abnormality yet, at a control station located at a remote place although they are effective for repair work of the working machine which has developed abnormality.
If operation conditions of a working machine such as a hydraulic excavator which is performing digging work, for example, in a mountainous area can be grasped at a control station located at a remote place, it would be possible to determine a desired maintenance schedule and further, to determine suitable replacement parts to be needed upon maintenance and to collect such parts ready for use. It would, therefore, be possible to readily achieve high-accuracy maintenance management on the working machine. If operation data can be analyzed as needed, development of a working machine the performance of which is still better would be expected.
With the foregoing current circumstances in the conventional art in view, the present invention has as an object thereof the provision of a method and system for transmitting operation data of a working machine, which make it possible to grasp operation conditions of the working machine at a control station located at a remote place no matter whether or not abnormality has occurred on the working machine.
To achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides a method for automatically transmitting operation data of a working machine from a controller, which is arranged on the working machine and has produced the operation data, to a control station located at a remote place via predetermined communication means, which comprises storing the operation data at intervals of a predetermined time in the controller, and automatically transmitting at least a group of operation data out of the operation data, said group of operation data having been stored during desired one or more of the intervals, at a predetermined time point from the controller to the control station.
The present invention also provides a method for automatically transmitting operation data of plural working machines from controllers, which are arranged on the working machines, respectively, and have produced the operation data of the corresponding working machines, to a control station located at a remote place via predetermined communication means, which comprises storing the operation data of the respective working machines at intervals of a predetermined time in their corresponding controllers, and automatically transmitting groups of operation data out of the operation data, said groups of operation data having been stored during desired ones or more of the intervals, from the controllers to the control station at predetermined time points shifted from one another.
When constructed as described above, operation data occurred upon operation of the working machine such as a hydraulic excavator are stored in the controller of the working machine at intervals of a predetermined time, for example, 24 hours. The operation data stored as described above during desired one or more of the intervals are automatically transmitted from the controller to the control station located at the remote place via the predetermined communication means at the predetermined time point, for example, when a key switch for starting the working machine is turned on or at a time designated beforehand. Accordingly, the working conditions of the working machine can be precisely grasped at the control station located at the remote place no matter whether or not abnormality has occurred on the working machine. Upon automatically transmitting the operation data, it is possible to set different transmitting times for the individual working machines so that the operation data can be transmitted from the individual working machines to the control station without overlapping.
The above-mentioned predetermined time may be set, for example, at 24 hours as mentioned above, in other words, at 1 day, and the operation data of a preceding day may be transmitted at a predetermined time point.
In this case, the operation data of the preceding day may be transmitted only when the working machine was operated on the preceding day. This makes it possible to reduce the number of transmissions.
When the predetermined time point is set at a time designated beforehand, the time can be set at 0:00 a.m. When the above-described time points are set with respect to plural working machines, these time points may be preferably set such that operation data are transmitted from different working machines at predetermined intervals, for example, at one-minute intervals.
To achieve the above-described object, the present invention also provides a system for transmitting operation data of a working machine, said system being provided with operation detecting means for detecting operating conditions of the working machine, a controller for producing, as operation data, data detected by the operation detecting means, said operation detecting means and said controller being arranged on the working machine, and a control station located at a remote place, connected with the controller via predetermined communication means and adapted to receive operation data outputted from the controller, wherein the controller comprises a clock unit, a memory unit for storing the produced operation data at predetermined time intervals on a basis of a time clocked at the clock unit and an output unit for outputting at least a group of operation data out of the operation data, said group of operation data having been stored in the memory unit during desired one or more of the intervals, at a predetermined time point, and automatically transmits to the control station the operation data outputted from the output unit of the controller.
When constructed as described above, operation data occurred upon operation of the working machine such as a hydraulic excavator are stored in the memory unit of the controller at intervals of a predetermined time, for example, 24 hours, on the basis of a time clocked at the clock unit. The operation data stored in the memory unit during desired one or more of the intervals are automatically transmitted from the output unit of the controller to the control station located at the remote place via the predetermined communication means at the predetermined time point such as a time stored in the memory unit. Accordingly, the working conditions of the working machine can be precisely grasped at the control station located at the remote place no matter whether or not abnormality has occurred on the working machine.
In the above-described construction, the system may further comprise rewriting means capable of rewriting the time stored in the memory unit of the controller.
The predetermined communication means may comprise satellite communication terminal equipment arranged on the working machine and adapted to receive the operation data outputted from the output unit of the controller, a communication satellite for receiving the operation data outputted from the satellite communication terminal equipment, and an earth station for receiving the operation data outputted from the communication satellite and outputting the operation data to the control station.
The predetermined communication means may comprise a telephone line. In this case, the predetermined communication means may further comprise a cellular telephone.
The predetermined communication means may comprise radio-communication equipment.